BUILDING PERMITS CANNOT BE ISSUED WITHOUT A DETAILED SET OF DRAWINGS AS EXPLAINED BELOW:

PLANS – (blueprints or drawings) - Plans shall have enough detail to allow a builder to completely construct the project. All plans shall show the type and detail of foundation, lumber size, and spacing (floor joist, wall studs, etc.), roof construction (rafter/truss details, hips, valleys, etc.) window and door locations and size. A minimum of a site plan (show all buildings on property and distances from property lines), foundation plan, floor plan and an elevation plan are required. A copy of the plans shall be retained by the Building Department. Commercial plans shall be signed and sealed by a registered architect or engineer.

**Plumbing and Mechanical Inspections will now be performed on Tuesday and Thursdays**

The purpose of this office is to administer the state construction code. Provides building code enforcement in those parts of the county where townships and cities do not provide their own enforcement.

The Montcalm County Building Department was established in 1974 and today consists of 3 full-time employees and 3 part-time employees. The Building Department is responsible for enforcement of the State Construction Code Act of 1972. The State of Michigan mandates that a nationally recognized code shall be enforced throughout the State.

The Building Department issues Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Permits from this office along with providing the public with basic construction information and assistance in obtaining the required permits. The citizens and contractors of Montcalm County are fortunate to have one department that provides service to all 20 townships in the county. We also assist the City of Greenville by issuing Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Permits for their jurisdiction. The City of Greenville issues their own Building Permits.

The Building Department’s annual budget is nearly $300,000.00 and the department is completely self-supportive through the permit fees it collects. The Building Department issues nearly 2,000 permits and performs over 3,500 inspections each year. The Building Department is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (open during lunch hour) Monday through Friday and issues residential permits within 1 hour of receiving the proper documents and drawings. Commercial permits normally require more time for a complete plan review to be performed prior to issuing a permit.

All inspectors have regularly scheduled times that they are available in the office to answer questions before going in the field to perform inspections. The inspectors for Montcalm County have nearly 200 years of combined experience to ensure the quality of service Montcalm County deserves. The Montcalm County Building Department is proud to offer what we feel is the best service available in West Michigan to our residents and builders throughout the county and surrounding areas. We strongly recommend that anyone considering a construction project of any size, large or small, contact the Building Department ahead of time. We will assist you in any way we can to help you through the sometimes confusing and complicated process of obtaining all of the necessary permits and documents to complete a project. One phone call can simplify the process and help to make your project a success.